Skip to main content

NOTICE: Due to a lapse in annual appropriations, most of this website is not being updated. Learn more.

Form submissions will still be accepted but will not receive responses at this time. Sections of this site for programs using non-appropriated funds (such as NVLAP) or those that are excepted from the shutdown (such as CHIPS and NVD) will continue to be updated.

U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Carbon Nanotubes Activate Store Operated Calcium Entry (SOCE) in Blood Platelets Manifested by STIM-1 Clustering

Published

Author(s)

Silvia H. De Paoli Lacerda, Jana Semberova, Karel Holada, Olga Simakova, Steven D. Hudson, Jan Simak

Abstract

Intravascular effects of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a result of their various biomedical applications or environmental/occupational exposure raise serious safety concerns. CNTs potentiate arterial thrombosis in animal models;[1, 2] however, a mechanism of their prothrombotic effects has not been described. We have shown previously that different single-walled and multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs), but not fullerene nC60, induce aggregation of blood platelets.[3][1] We found that MWCNTs activate blood platelets by inducing extracellular Ca2+ influx sensitive to calcium entry inhibitors. Here we show that MWCNTs penetrate through platelet membranes causing injury of the dense tubular system (DTS). This is associated with a marked decrease of calcium in the platelet intracellular stores. Moreover, we demonstrate that MWCNTs induce capping of STIM1 molecules, co-localized with Orai1 molecules in platelets, which indicates activation of the store-operated calcium entry (SOCE). Our findings elucidate a mechanism of the CNT-induced platelet activation, which is critical in blood biocompatibility of carbon nanomaterials.
Citation
Nature Nanotechnology
Volume
5
Issue
7

Keywords

carbon nanotubes, blood platelet aggregation, calcium store, calcium release, nanoparticle

Citation

De, S. , Semberova, J. , Holada, K. , Simakova, O. , Hudson, S. and Simak, J. (2011), Carbon Nanotubes Activate Store Operated Calcium Entry (SOCE) in Blood Platelets Manifested by STIM-1 Clustering, Nature Nanotechnology, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=907199 (Accessed October 13, 2025)

Issues

If you have any questions about this publication or are having problems accessing it, please contact [email protected].

Created June 3, 2011, Updated February 19, 2017
Was this page helpful?